Importing a PlayStation Vita

So, You Want to Import a PlayStation Vita?

Sigh. February 22nd is so far away. Sure, you can kill time with Christmas, New Year's and Valentine's Day before 2/22/12, but every PlayStation fan knows the 22nd is the day the PlayStation Vita comes to North America and Europe. That means the time leading up to the 22nd will move slower than Doughnut Drake up a three-story building.

But as luck would have it, the Vita is out in Japan. The device is region free, so you could technically import it and start the new generation of Sony handhelds today. You could be playing the PlayStation Vita months before the rest of your country.

However, asking someone to import something for the first time -- especially an expensive handheld -- is a tall order. That's why IGN is adding this section of the PlayStation Vita Wiki. We're importing the PlayStation Vita, and we'll be posting tips and walkthrough videos here so that you can learn from our firsthand experience and figure out if you're up to this task. That said, we don't have a unit yet, so some of the advice below is only based on theory. We'll update (and you should, too) as we learn more.

Where Should I Order From?

There are plenty of websites you can import through, but when IGN imports stuff, we usually use Play-Asia.com. The site is in English, the values are translated to the U.S. dollar; however, the vendor is in Hong Kong, so unless you live somewhere close, expect to pay international shipping or VAT.

For individuals in the United States, there is also NCSX.com, which is based in the state of New York. Both vendors are popular with gamers interested in legally purchasing Japanese software and hardware.

What Should You Order?

The Shopping list is probably the most important part of this process, but it's going to change for each person. Below we have two plans -- one for Trophy Whores and one for people who just want to play -- and then we list games and if they have an English option in another section of the Wiki.

I Don't Care About Trophies

If you couldn't care less about PlayStation Network Trophies, you're going to save some money and get instant gratification. Import the PlayStation Vita and a large memory card. Then, create a Japanese PlayStation Network account. Once your account is active, buy some Japanese PlayStation Network Yen cards and add the money to your wallet. Sync the Japanese account with your Vita, and you'll be able to download any Vita game you like off the Japanese PlayStation Store. You don't have to worry about importing the game cartridges, but you will have to reformat your Vita when the servers in your country launch so you can use your real PSN account (thereby deleting all your Japanese games).

I Want Trophies

Ah, a gamer after my own heart. If you want to have the Trophies you earn on your PlayStation Vita pop up on your native PlayStation Network account, you're going to have to spend more money and you'll probably keep your Vita offline for many, many weeks. See, if you sync your Vita with your Canadian/U.S./UK PSN account, the Vita is going to be looking for that region's server, and those probably won't be up and running for the Japanese launch. (I can't be sure as I don't have a Vita yet, but it'll be one of the first things I test.) Anyway, as a non-Japanese PSN account can't reach the Japanese PlayStation Store, you'd have to import every game you'd want to play. You won't be able to hop on the Japanese PlayStation Store and download the game's you want -- you'll need to pay shipping and import the physical media.

Which Games Have an English Option?

Well the system has hit the stores and reports of game having english support has started, here is the very short list.

What Are the Import Hang-Ups?

Mainly, it's money. You're going to be paying far more than if you waited and bought the device in your homeland. Also, a sticking point for us Westerners is that Japan flips the X and Circle buttons. In Japanese menus, X backs out of things and Circle accepts them. That's the opposite of how it works over here. This means that if you imported a Vita, the system interface would always be this reverse, but games for your territory would use the X/Circle setup you're used to.

Let's Make a Japanese PSN Account

OK. So, you want to take your imported PlayStation Vita onto the Japanese PlayStation Network so that you can download games as they come out. Awesome, but to do that you'll need a Japanese PSN account -- your regular PSN account won't work. Thankfully, creating a Japanese account is a breeze, and here's the nine-minute video that'll get you up and running. Yes, this is using a PS3 interface. Do it now, and you can recover your Japanese PSN profile on the Vita when you get it.